In Cold Blood (Capote)

In Cold Blood: A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its ConsequencesTruman Capote, 1965Knopf Doubleday368 pp.ISBN-13: 9780679745587

SummaryOn November 15, 1959, in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas, four members of the Clutter family were savagely murdered by blasts from a shotgun held a few inches from their faces. There was no apparent motive for the crime, and there were almost no clues.

As Truman Capote reconstructs the murder and the investigation that led to the capture, trial, and execution of the killers, he generates both mesmerizing suspense and astonishing empathy. In Cold Blood is a work that transcends its moment, yielding poignant insights into the nature of American violence.

With the publication of this book, Capote permanently ripped through the barrier separating crime reportage from serious literature. As he reconstructs the murder and the investigation that led to the capture, trial, and execution of the killers, Capote generates suspense and empathy. (From the publisher.)

The novel was the basis for Capote, a 2005 movied starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, who won both an Oscar and the Golden Globe Award for his performance as Truman Capote.